$4.4 Billion Spent In 2016 On TV Ads

The presidential campaign in 2016 was primarily based on media campaigns. Almost every candidate cashed in on the popularity of social networking sites. However, TV ad campaigns remained one of the most common mediums. Moreover, that is why the candidates did not back down form airing their ads on TV and getting involved in news interviews.

Clinton’s Media Campaign Cost Her $140 Million

Hillary Clinton had a massive team for her media campaigns

Hillary Clinton had a massive team for her media campaigns. They were busy tailoring videos of Hillary’s campaigns and in creating satirical videos on Trump. Her media campaigns cost her about $140 million, and she earned nearly $740 million of free media coverage. While Donald Trump rode to victory on the vast amount of media coverage he received. He just spent $10 million in his ad.

They were busy tailoring videos of Hillary’s campaigns and in creating satirical videos on Trump.

Overall the media campaigns in 2016 were massive. Candidates spent around $9.8 billion in their media campaigns. Out of which $4.8 billion was spent on TV ads. This is a considerable amount when taking into regards the amount of free media coverage earned by some candidates.

Clinton’s 7000 TV Ad Slots Did Not Pan Out

Even though Clinton spent so much on TV ads, her ads were not able to get the desired effect. Her ads were mainly concentrated on slandering her opponents. Unlike the ads for some other candidates, Clinton’s ads lacked any discussion on her policies or how she would take charge if elected. This was not exactly favored by the public. In the first week itself, Clinton and her supporters reserved more than 7000 slots on TV. This goes to show how inclined they were in taking every opportunity available to air her ads.

Trump, who was always on TV for some reason, played a safe bet

Trump, who was always on TV for some reason, played a safe bet. Trump was continuously involved in interviews with news channels and had occupied several late-night slots on some popular news channels. His advertisements contained some amounts of his philosophy, and the viewers were able to get a glimpse of what Trump decided to do.

‘Make America Great Again’ Got The Voter’s Nod

His signature slogan ‘Make America great again’ was enthusiastically supported by the people and he did not go easy on propagating that. He spent almost $7 million in airing an ad that featured him and his slogan and pictures of his rallies filled the background. This ad was particularly useful since it did not have any negative characteristics.

TV ads have been the primary source of campaigning for a long time, and the candidates knew better than to underestimate it. Though spending on broadcast went down in comparison to the 2012 presidential run, overall expenditure on media increased. Social media played a significant role and as expected the spending on social media campaigning rose considerably. Almost every candidate had their campaigning website, and they use social media like Facebook and Twitter extensively.

TV ads have been the primary source of campaigning for a long time, and the candidates knew better than to underestimate it.

Even though social media became popular, TV held its grounds. While social media was used to influence the younger age group, TV ads were used to reach out to the broader base of the society. Moreover, at a time when Netflix and other services have made TVs so accessible, it would have been a mistake if TVs were underestimated.